Success

Success happens when preparation and opportunity meet. In preparation for this trip we have all invested a lot of time on our portfolio, resume and researching agencies that are of interest to us. Most of us spent many hours working in hopes of having the opportunity to present them to a prominent agency. This week is where all of that preparation meets opportunity. We have the opportunity this week to meet with some of the top creators in our field. I believe this is where SUCCESS happens. Now success can come in many different forms and vary from person to person. For some of us it could be walking away from this trip with a job or internship opportunity for others, it could be just making a connection that could lead to a future opportunity. I believe our preparation before the trip will determine just how successful this trip will be for you. It really makes us look group when we come prepared and ready to take full advantage of the opportunity printed to us.

SUCCESS= Preparation + Opportunity

- Isaiah Patton

Extra Sleep

This requires extra sleep. Last night I found myself watching the back of my eye lids at 7:30 pm. The day painted itself in pictures onto the screen that REM had created for me (no, Michael Stipe did not appear). It played back in a blur. First, the whirlwind of imagination and hard work that is W+K. The staircase. The knowledge. The advice. The push for innovation. For risks. Risks. Risks. Reward. Applause. The festivities carefully selected in a wave of green and yellow, paying homage to our home. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Never enough of those. Next, the mistaken subway car, the hurried über, the audio manifesting itself in the space that 15-or-so of us so concentratedly occupied. Sound Lounge. The differentiation from the typical. Expansion of what it means to listen. Be early. Give people what they need to help make your project successful. Pay attention. Do not waste time. *awake* My alarm rang into existence. 8 am. Over 12 hours. Everything I’d ever wanted to experience thrown into a week. This requires extra sleep. 

Talia Bootz

5.9.2017

The Culture Question

I’ve always been impressed by Wieden+Kennedy’s rebellious, innovative, risk-taking attitude. After seeing that same spirit in an office 2,897 miles from their first location, I find myself wondering: where does agency culture come from?

Does it grow from the vision of its founders? Does it arise organically from the kinds of people an agency hires? Does the agency curate it carefully, changing process and output to keep the office on brand? Though I’m sure it’s a nuanced combination of these elements, I’m excited to visit agencies this week and observe not only the cultures of the offices, but the forces driving them.

Hannah Lewman

05.09.2017

Create work with a soul

Talent and intellect oozed from every corner of Boxed. Not only did they all welcome up with open arms and delicious treats, Jackson Jeyanayagam and the rest of the Boxed crew gave us bundles of amazing advice.

 One thing he said really stuck in my mind like glue: create work with a soul. I believe that big ideas don’t come from air, they come when brain and heart are intrinsically in-sync. I feel like Jackson was hitting that exact point. Walking through the Boxed doors for the very first time, I had no idea what I was going to gain. But when those doors closed behind me as I left, I gained both insight and inspiration.

Amelia Inouye // 5/9/17

Eavesdropping in NYC Quotes

“That’s just impossible at any price point really.” - A very concerned businessman walking down the street. 

“I need to stop dating people who expect me to come see them in Queens.” - Two millennial girls 

“You do realize comedy doesn’t pay bills, right?” -bartender at UCB Comedy spot 

“I was on So You Think You Can Dance, but you can’t tell because I had so much make-up on” - girl talking to her friends in St.Marks Place. 

“Dad that’s a lake-” “No honey that’s just a puddle” - a young daughter and her father at a garden in the East Village. 

I love this place. -Colleen Cass 5/9/17

Eye Twitch

Hello, all. Let’s preface this by saying this post will go west-south-east-north, I promise you it makes sense in my head - but it is also 1:07:56am and I’m tired but like “tired” doesn’t exist in NYC right? My eye has been twitching for the past week or so. That may be due to the ever impending fact that the ‘real world’ is around the corner, and because I want to fulfill the lofty aspirations I have (short-term, long-term, mid-term), I’ve been sacrificing hours of sleep to t-r-y and get more work done… -or- …that may be due to the fact that spring is here and allergies are more present than ever, though likely, let’s assume the first rationale is the cause of this eye twitch.

This first twitch is one we all share. Staying up at bizarre times to finish the things that seem necessary for the lives we aspire to live. Or maybe you’re a punctual person, and this “eye twitch” is far from your reality because you and your bed unite before 11pm daily. Regardless, we’re all stressing to get SOMETHING done for certain why’s. Whether your why is to prove to your strict parent(s) that you’re worth more than they know, whether your why is to be financially autonomous post-grad, or whether your why is to give back to those who got you to where you are currently - we all have different why’s, it is always important to remember why we do what we do.

In remembering that why, we realize forward is the only option. You want great work? Who am I to know the answer to that vague question, but my guess is: remember your why, tend to your twitchy eye, and rock the show till the wheels fall off. 

That was corny, but the simple fact is, we’re here for a reason. Let’s continue to utilize our skills, and always remember to push all limits. Good is never good enough, let’s be great. It is now 3:19:07am and I’ve enjoyed a pizza and sprite (courtesy of Napat), me and my twitchy eye will rest now - ta ta…

…Blair Barnes.

Diving In.

This city lures you in by the constant sights and sounds. At first everywhere I looked I felt overwhelmed by the history, culture, and hecticness that engulfs the big apple. But as I settled in and took a deep breath I saw the beauty in all of it. Walking in to the first agency of many today, was like diving into a cold pool. The chilled water tenses your body at first but after you start swimming you feel at ease. At first I felt nervousness as I walked up the steps of Wieden+Kennedy, but after I started swimming in the creativity and talking to the imaginative minds of the agency I felt bliss. Seeing the New York skyline from the agency windows gave me that feeling of ease. I see this week as the opportunity to engage in the professional world I have been studying. Talking to the people who create the ads that inspire us and our culture gives me motivation, determination, and inspiration to be there one day. As this week starts off I begin to find my stride in this city.

Jordan Romania